I May Be Mentally Disordered

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Harley-Davidson may be looking to buy Ducati

According to this article at Financial Times' web site, Ducati's CFO, Enrico D'Onofrio, was quoted as saying, "Ducati...would consider a merger with US-based Harley-Davidson 'anytime'." For those who aren't familiar, Ducati builds and races the sexiest, V-twin sport bikes on the planet. Their current flagship, the 1098S(which can be seen here, costs a cool $19,995, brand new, but what you get for that money is tantric sex on two wheels. If a long ride on my Harley-Davidson is a slow, patient, soulful encounter with a gorgeous Lady(with a capital L), a Ducati would seem to be a wild, frantic, bout of animal sex with a silk-skinned model. Either way, it's a great time, and neither of the bikes in question are cheap, but then special bikes, like special women, never are. :)

Anyway, the Harley crowd seems to be all for it, as the H-D engineering department would certainly benefit from Ducati's mastery of the water cooled V-twin, and Ducati could only experience an increase in sales with H-D's marketing wizardry pushing their product. Personally, I'd be all about getting a 1098S, or maybe a Hypermotard. I love the look and the stance of multi-purpose bikes. Of course, Ducati and Harley-Davidson would seem to be marketing to different target markets entirely, but not so fast. According to the same CFO, "Half of all Ducati owners in the US also own a Harley." Interesting stuff.

Both brands have long, storied histories. H-D was founded in 1903 and Ducati dates to the 20s, according to the article. Both trade heavily on sex appeal and exclusivity. Both make most of their money with bikes retailing in the high teens, or low-20s. Both are famous for their two cylinder engines(Harley's in a "V", Ducati's in a "L"), and both have a focus on beauty and style at the core of their design aesthetic. Where they differ is in their financial positions. Harley-Davidson is in an extremely strong capital position, where Ducati has been struggling. It would seem that the two are ripe for a union, and it sounds like Harley may be looking at acquiring Ducati outright. Personally, I think it would be awesome.

Seeing the world's most beautiful sport bikes in the same showroom as the world's most beautiful cruisers would be sensory overload! Harley could certainly use the technology available for future endeavors in the V-Rod vein(eventually all H-D motors will have to be water cooled), and Ducati could extend its market share and awareness, two things that are key to growing a brand, as well as keeping it healthy and strong in the market. I have nothing but respect for the engineering and performance you find in metric sport bikes...saw a very nice Triumph 675 at Quaker Steak and Lube last week and was thinking about Suzuki's GSXR750 a little over a year ago...but none of them have the soul appeal of Ducati.

It's an interesting thing. I would imagine the sport bike world would be enraged, but then anytime Harley-Davidson's name is mentioned, sport bike riders generally react with disgust, if not outright hatred. But then, most of them wouldn't spend the money on an H-D or a Ducati anyway, so their opinion matters least where it ultimately matters most, in the accounting ledger. Personally, I could see myself on a Ducati in a year or so, once I've paid the Deluxe off. Of course, I'll have to move into a single room studio, complete with double doors so that I can park the bikes in the house, but I think that I could live with that.

Speaking of Quaker Steak, I saw a few vintage Harleys that caught my eye, so I snapped a few pics with the camera phone. Of course, the quality leaves a lot to be desired, but you'll get the general idea. The coolest of the bunch was an all original, 1943 US Army bike, but the '31(!!!), and the old Panhead weren't bad either. :)

The Panhead

The 1931

And the all original 1943